Current Events :
he day honors soldiers’ sacrifice and discipline, showcasing modern military displays and reflecting the Army’s growth into a national security pillar. India will observe Indian Army Day on January 15, 2026, marking 78 years since the country took full command of its own Army after Independence.2 hours ago
Happy Indian Army Day 2026 Wishes And Quotes: January 15th is observed as the Indian Army Day to commemorate the sacrifice and selfless service of the Indian Army. On special occasions and every day, each citizen of a nation of billions should be grateful for the sacrifice our soldiers make so that we can sleep peacefully in our homes. They not just protect borders, but are foundational in India’s existence. To celebrate the proud day wholeheartedly, here is a list of heartfelt wishes, powerful quotes, messages and powerful slogans to honour great Indian soldiers who safeguard the nation against all odds.
“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.” – Unknown.
Message: In your honour, we stand united. Army Day 2026 wishes to our warriors.
Happy Indian Army Day 2026 Wishes (Image Credit: Canva).
…Each of these quotes can also be shared on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram as captions to keep the national pride high on the celebratory occasion. Happy Army Day 2026! Jai Hindi, Jai Jawan! (Hail India, Hail the soldiers!)
Sarabjeet Kaur, 48, was among 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who had entered Pakistan via Wagah border from India in November last year to attend the festivities related to the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak
An Indian Sikh woman, who contracted marriage with a local Muslim during a visit to Pakistan in November, was arrested and sent to a government-run shelter home in Lahore, a Punjab government source said on Wednesday.
Sarabjeet Kaur, 48, was among 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who had entered Pakistan via Wagah border from India in November last year to attend the festivities related to the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
The pilgrims returned home after a few days, but Kaur went missing. A senior police officer in Lahore later said that Kaur contracted marriage with Nasir Hussain of Sheikhupura district, some 50 km from Lahore, a day after she arrived in Pakistan on November 4.
Later, Kaur and Hussain filed a petition in the Lahore High Court complaining that the police had conducted an illegal raid at their house in Farooqabad, Sheikhupura, and pressed them to end the marriage.
Lahore High Court Justice Farooq Haider ordered the police to stop harassing the couple.
“Instead of following the court order, the Punjab police apprehended the couple and sent Kaur to Darul Aman (government-run shelter home) in Lahore,” the source in the Punjab government told PTI.
He said the authorities want to deport Kaur while her husband is in police custody facing a case.
“The authorities already made an attempt to deport Kaur but failed due to the closure of the Wagah-Attari border,” he said.
Earlier, in a video clip, Kaur said she approached the embassy in Islamabad to extend her visa and also applied for Pakistani nationality.
“I am a divorcee and wanted to marry Hussain; therefore, I came here for the purpose,” she said.
Kaur was given a Muslim name, Noor, before the nikah ceremony. “I happily married Hussain,” she added.
A former member of the Punjab Assembly, Mahinder Pal Singh, had filed a petition in the Lahore High Court alleging that it is likely that she is an “Indian spy”.
“Staying in Pakistan after the expiry of her visa is an illegal act as the matter is linked to Pakistan’s national security,” he said.
Sixty years after the guns fell silent on 23 September 1965, the Indo-Pak war remains etched in national memory—not merely as a military confrontation, but as a defining test of India’s political resolve, military leadership and commitment to peace.
As the nation marks six decades of the ceasefire that followed one of South Asia’s fiercest conflicts, veterans recall the events and enduring impact of the war that began with miscalculation and ended with a conscious choice for restraint.
From a veteran’s viewpoint, the 1965 war was triggered by Pakistan’s grave strategic misjudgement. In August 1965, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, infiltrating nearly 3,000 troops in civilian disguise into the Kashmir Valley, hoping to incite a popular uprising. That uprising never materialised. Instead, local civilians exposed the infiltrators, enabling Indian forces to swiftly neutralise the plan.
Lt Gen JS Dhillon, VSM (Retd), who witnessed the war as a young student, recalls how the conflict touched even those far from the frontlines. With his village Manko in Jalandhar district located near the Adampur Air Force Station, the war unfolded in dramatic fashion. Pakistani aircraft attempted to bomb the airbase, while Indian air defence guns lit up the night sky “like Diwali crackers,” a sight that left an indelible impression on a generation.
Another factor behind Pakistan’s gamble was its confidence in numerical strength and the much-vaunted American-supplied Patton tanks. That confidence proved misplaced. In the fields of Khemkaran and Asal Uttar, Indian troops, armed largely with older Centurion tanks and anti-tank weapons, inflicted devastating losses, turning the area into what came to be known as a graveyard of Pakistani armour.
The war also produced extraordinary acts of bravery. CQMH Abdul Hamid of 4 Grenadiers and Lt Col AB Tarapore of 17 Poona Horse were posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest gallantry honour, for their heroic actions against overwhelming odds.
As Brig Advitya Madan (Retd) notes, Pakistan’s failure in Kashmir did not halt escalation. On 1 September 1965, it launched Operation Grand Slam, aiming to seize Akhnoor and sever India’s land link to Jammu. India’s response was decisive and unexpected. On 6 September, Indian forces crossed the international border towards Lahore and Sialkot, transforming a covert campaign into a full-scale conventional war.
Seventeen days of intense land and air battles followed. Despite technological disadvantages, the Indian Air Force held its own with skill and daring, while the Army blunted Pakistan’s armoured thrusts at key battlefields such as Phillora.
The 1965 war had lasting consequences beyond the battlefield. It marked the emergence of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as a leader of quiet firmness and moral authority. Equally significant was the role of military commanders like Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, GOC-in-C Western Command, who is remembered for refusing to pull back Indian troops to the Beas River despite pressure, denying Pakistan any bargaining advantage around Amritsar.
For Pakistan, the war was another hard lesson after the conflicts of 1947–48: that strategic miscalculation and overconfidence could not substitute for popular support or sound military planning. Having failed to achieve its objectives, Pakistan sought a UN-mandated ceasefire, which came into effect on 23 September 1965 under UN Resolution 211, with mediation by global powers including the Soviet Union and the United States.
The conflict formally ended with the Tashkent Declaration, signed on 10 January 1966 by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan President Ayub Khan. India agreed to return captured territories, reaffirming its preference for peace over territorial gains. Tragically, Shastri passed away hours after signing the agreement, a death that remains shrouded in unanswered questions.
A legacy of lessons
Sixty years on, veterans view the 1965 war as a moment when India demonstrated resilience, unity and restraint. It shattered the myth that superior weapons alone guarantee victory and reinforced the principle that national strength lies as much in leadership and moral clarity as in military might. The ceasefire of 1965 stands not just as the end of a war, but as a reminder that even after fierce combat, the harder—and braver—path is often the choice of peace.
India on Wednesday asked its nationals, currently in Iran, to leave the country at the earliest, citing a rapidly evolving security situation amid continuing unrest, and issued a fresh warning against all travels to the Islamic Republic until further notice.
In an advisory issued by the Indian Embassy in Tehran, New Delhi advised Indian nationals — including students, pilgrims, businesspersons and tourists — to depart Iran using all available means of transport, including commercial flights.
The advisory follows earlier warnings issued this month and reflects growing concern in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) over the deteriorating internal situation in the country.
“In view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals who are currently in Iran are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport,” the embassy said, reiterating that citizens should exercise extreme caution, avoid areas witnessing protests or demonstrations, remain in close contact with the Indian mission and monitor local media for developments.
MEA, in a parallel advisory issued in New Delhi, said Indian nationals were “once again strongly advised” to avoid travel to Iran until further notice. It referred to its earlier advisory of January 5, which had cautioned against non-essential travel and urged Indians already in Iran to stay vigilant.
Indian nationals currently in Iran have been asked to keep their travel and immigration documents, including passports and identification papers, readily accessible at all times. The embassy has also released multiple emergency helpline numbers and an official email address to assist those seeking support or evacuation-related guidance.
In a move aimed at strengthening communication during a volatile period, the embassy has urged all Indian nationals in Iran who have not yet registered with it to do so immediately through MEA’s online registration portal. Families in India have been asked to complete the registration on behalf of their relatives in Iran in case internet disruptions prevent access from within the country.
The advisory comes against the backdrop of widespread unrest that erupted in Iran in late December, driven by deepening economic distress and mounting public anger against the country’s clerical establishment. Protests in several cities have turned violent, prompting a harsh security crackdown.
The situation has drawn international concern, with global human rights organisations condemning the use of force against protesters. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for restraint by Iranian authorities and urged an end to the use of lethal force against demonstrators.
While MEA has not disclosed the exact number of Indians currently in Iran, official estimates suggest a sizeable presence comprising students, traders, religious pilgrims and long-term residents. The Indian government has in recent years carried out large-scale evacuation operations from conflict zones in West Asia, underscoring its heightened sensitivity to the safety of nationals abroad.
Officials indicated that the situation is being closely monitored and further advisories will be issued as necessary, depending on how events unfold on the ground in Iran.
Security forces on Wednesday stepped up an ongoing search operation by extending the cordon to track down and neutralise terrorists in remote villages of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said.
An army personnel during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in the forest area of Kamadh Nullah following an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists, in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (PTI Photo)Security forces on Wednesday stepped up an ongoing search operation by extending the cordon to track down and neutralise terrorists in remote villages of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, officials said.
Several gunshots were heard when the security forces launched the operation in the Najote forest area in Billawar tehsil on Tuesday based on information about the presence of a terrorist there.
There was no contact between the terrorist and the security forces. Fresh inputs suggested that he managed to escape the cordon by taking advantage of the treacherous terrain and darkness, the officials said.
He took food from a shepherd in a nearby area around midnight before moving deep into the forest, they said.
Reinforcements have been fanned out in different directions and more than a dozen villages around Najote have been cordoned off to track down the terrorist and his associates, they added.
According to the officials, Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) also launched a cordon and search operation in Jakhole Baira and adjoining villages in the Rajbagh area after a local reported suspicious movement of two persons near his cattle shed.
However, no trace of the suspicious persons has been found so far, the officials said.
Ahead of Republic Day, security has been tightened across the Jammu region, particularly in border villages and high-altitude areas, to curb terrorist activities.
Frequent drone intrusions from across the border over the past few days have also emerged as a major security concern, prompting the deployment of additional forces at vulnerable locations.
Intensified patrolling, area domination exercises and night surveillance are being carried out to prevent any infiltration attempt or airdropping of arms and narcotics, the officials said.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann highlighted the issue of missing Guru Granth Sahib ‘saroops’ at AAP’s Maghi rally, saying 169 were traced during the probe. “The SIT found 169 missing ‘saroops’ from a religious place near Banga, with records existing for only 30. No agency, neither SGPC nor those who managed them, had proper documentation,” he said.
Mann claimed his government would hand over the ‘saroops’ to SGPC for installation. “This isn’t an achievement we’re claiming credit for – it’s our duty,” he added.
Earlier, Mann offered prayers at the historic gurdwara here and paid homage to the 40 ‘muktas’. “People have gathered here not just to listen to politics but to bow to Guru Sahib,” he said.
The CM mixed his remarks with political attacks, saying former rulers were trying to regain power, while AAP had given jobs, ensured uninterrupted power, and planned a Rs 10 lakh insurance scheme. He announced Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium for women in the next budget.
Mann targeted SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, but spared BJP. The rally saw a large turnout, with notable attendees including Manish Sisodia and AAP Cabinet ministers.CM’s mother Harpal Kaur was also present on the stage. The party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal did not attend the rally.
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that NATO should help the US acquire Greenland and anything less than American control is unacceptable, hours before Vice President JD Vance was to host Danish and Greenlandic officials for talks.
In a post on his social media site, Trump reiterated his argument that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security.” He added that “NATO should be leading the way for us to get it” and that otherwise Russia or China would — “AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!” “NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”
Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, is at the centre of a geopolitical storm as Trump insists he wants to own it — and residents of its capital, Nuuk, say it isn’t for sale. The White House hasn’t ruled out taking the Arctic island by force.
Vance is to meet Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and his Greenlandic counterpart Vivian Motzfeldt in Washington later on Wednesday to discuss Greenland.
Greenland residents want the US to back off
Along the narrow, snow-covered main street in Nuuk, international journalists and camera crews have been stopping passersby every few metres asking them for their thoughts on a crisis which Denmark’s prime minister has warned could potentially trigger the end of NATO.
Tuuta Mikaelsen, a 22-year-old student, said in Nuuk that she hoped American officials would get the message to “back off.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told a news conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday that “if we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark. We choose NATO. We choose the Kingdom of Denmark. We choose the EU.”
Asked on Tuesday about Nielsen’s comments, Trump replied: “I disagree with him. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything about him. But, that’s going to be a big problem for him.”
Greenland is strategically important because, as climate change causes the ice to melt, it opens up the possibility of shorter trade routes to Asia. That also could make it easier to extract and transport untapped deposits of critical minerals which are needed for computers and phones.
Trump said in Wednesday’s post that Greenland is “vital” to the United States’ Golden Dome missile defence programme. He also has said he wants the island to expand America’s security and has cited what he says is the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as a reason to control it.
But both experts and Greenlanders question that claim.
“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” heating engineer Lars Vintner said. He said he frequently goes sailing and hunting and has never seen Russian or Chinese ships.
His friend, Hans Norgaard, agreed, adding “what has come out of the mouth of Donald Trump about all these ships is just fantasy.”
Denmark has said the US — which already has a military presence — can boost its bases on Greenland. For that reason, “security is just a cover,” Vintner said, suggesting Trump actually wants to own the island to make money from its untapped natural resources.
Norgaard said he filed a police complaint in Nuuk against Trump’s “aggressive” behaviour because, he said, American officials are threatening the people of Greenland and NATO.
Mikaelsen, the student, said Greenlanders benefit from being part of Denmark, which provides free health care, education and payments during study, and “I don’t want the US to take that away from us.”
More diplomatic efforts
Following the White House meeting, Lokke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the US, are due to meet with senators from the Arctic Caucus in the US Congress.
Two lawmakers — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican — have introduced bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the use of funds from the US Defence or State departments to annex or take control of Greenland or the sovereign territory of any NATO member state without that ally’s consent or authorization from the North Atlantic Council.
A bipartisan delegation of lawmakers is also heading to Copenhagen at the end of the week to meet with Danish and Greenlandic officials.
Last week, Denmark’s major European allies joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in issuing a statement declaring that Greenland belongs to its people and that “it is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.”
On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told RTL radio that his country plans to open a consulate in Greenland on February 6, following a decision last summer to open the diplomatic outpost.
“Attacking another NATO member would make no sense; it would even be contrary to the interests of the United States. And I’m hearing more and more voices in the United States saying this,” Barrot said. “So this blackmail must obviously stop.”
